Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), yesterday in Abuja, said Benue still ranked highest in HIV prevalence in Nigeria.

According to him, Benue, in the North-Central region, has 10 per cent prevalence rate, followed by Akwa-Ibom in the South-south zone with eight per cent. Enugu in the South-east has 6.5 per cent, Kaduna in the North-west, 5.6 per cent, Taraba in the North-east, 6.1 per cent, while Ogun in the South-west has 3.6 prevalence rate.

He spoke at a workshop on the creation of budget lines on

HIV and AIDS in federal ministries, departments and agencies.

Osotimehin said a multi-sectoral approach would be needed to curb the epidemic, as the prevalence rate in some states was unacceptable.

The approach is to include ministries, departments, agencies, public, private, civil society, faith-based organisations and the three-tiers of government to fight the scourge," he said.

Osotimehin said the sectoral response would cover key areas such as prevention, treatment, care and support.

Minister of Finance, Dr Shamsudeen Usman, also implored ministries, departments and agencies to support NACA financially.

Represented by Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Jibrin Zarewa, Shamsudeen said the fight against HIV and AIDS should be given priority attention.

He alluded to a report by UNAIDS, indicating that 50 million people had been infected with the virus in the last two years. (Is this really true???)

A TOTAL of sh2.5b of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) is unaccounted for, according to the Government.

"An estimated sh2.5b was unaccounted for, out of which sh1.9b was in Kitgum alone," David Wakikona, the state minister for northern Uganda, told Parliament yesterday.

The report lists all the organisations and individuals in northern and eastern Uganda who diverted funds.

NUSAF is a government programme, funded by the World Bank to the tune of $113m, meant to eradicate poverty in northern Uganda.

"I take this opportunity to hand over to you the list of people and organisations involved in the NUSAF scandal," Nsibambi said while submitting the list to the presidential affairs committee chairman, Gerald Menhya.

"Some cases are in courts of law while others are being handled by the police. But it is of great importance for the members of parliament to get copies of the alleged corruption."

According to the list, 92 organisations and 28 individuals diverted often huge sums of money.

Embezzlement took all kind of forms. In some cases, members of the Community Project Management Committee (CPMC) connived with contractors to produce shoddy or incomplete work.

In other cases, the supplier never delivered the goods he was paid for. But mostly, money was withdrawn by CPMC executives and diverted for personal use.

Gulu registered the highest number of cases where CPMC executive members took money and disappeared with it.

For example, executive members of the Tempwoyo Youth Community Carpentry and Joinery Project in Paicho sub-county disappeared with sh10m, according to the list.

A total of 92 cases of suspected corruption by organisations are being investigated by the police, the MPs heard.

Fifteen other cases involving conspiracy to commit a felony, theft, embezzlement, causing financial loss and uttering false documents are being prosecuted in the courts.

The biggest case is the theft of sh461,844,000 involving three NUSAF officers in Kitgum. The case is in court.

Minister Wakikona pointed out that high illiteracy levels among the beneficiaries contributed to the mismanagement and embezzlement of funds.

"Most people who got NUSAF funds were illiterate and could not even think of asking for receipts for anything bought. We visited Karamoja and found a woman who had lost sh2m to a group of people who disguised that they were helping her," Wakikona noted.

For the second phase of the programme, he said, district officials will identify groups of 'middle class' educated people to access the funds, who in turn will teach the illiterate people how to account for the money.

"We have identified a solution for NUSAF II. Illiterate people will not receive funds until they have learnt the skills of managing funds."

Livingstone Okello Okello (UPC) noted that some suspects accused of embezzling funds had been released and that this could jeopardize the investigations.

But Nsibambi said that the courts of law are independent institutions. "If the courts of law release them, what can I do? The judiciary is an independent body and we don't interfere in its work."

According to the list, 92 organisations and 28 individuals diverted often huge sums of money.

Embezzlement took all kind of forms.

In some cases, members of the Community Project Management Committee (CPMC) connived with contractors to produce shoddy or incomplete work.

In other cases, the supplier never delivered the goods he was paid for.

But mostly, money was withdrawn by CPMC executives and diverted for personal use.

Gulu registered the highest number of cases where CPMC executive members took money and disappeared with it.

For example, executive members of the Tempwoyo Youth Community Carpentry and Joinery Project in Paicho sub-county disappeared with sh10m, according to the list.

A total of 92 cases of suspected corruption by organisations are being investigated by the police, the MPs heard.

Fifteen other cases involving conspiracy to commit a felony, theft, embezzlement, causing financial loss and uttering false documents are being prosecuted in the courts.

The biggest case is the theft of sh461,844,000 involving three NUSAF officers in Kitgum. The case is in court.

Minister Wakikona pointed out that high illiteracy levels among the beneficiaries contributed to the mismanagement and embezzlement of funds.

"Most people who got NUSAF funds were illiterate and could not even think of asking for receipts for anything bought. We visited Karamoja and found a woman who had lost sh2m to a group of people who disguised that they were helping her," Wakikona noted.

For the second phase of the programme, he said, district officials will identify groups of 'middle class' educated people to access the funds, who in turn will teach the illiterate people how to account for the money.

"We have identified a solution for NUSAF II. Illiterate people will not receive funds until they have learnt the skills of managing funds."

Livingstone Okello Okello (UPC) said some suspects accused of embezzling funds had been released and that this could jeopardise the investigations.

But Nsibambi said the courts of law are independent institutions.

"If the courts of law release them, what can I do? The Judiciary is an independent body and we don't interfere in its work," the premier said.